Apnea screener
Sleep apnea risk — STOP-BANG
STOP-BANG is the most widely used pre-screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary care and pre-operative settings. A high score doesn't confirm OSA; it tells you whether a formal sleep study is warranted.
8 yes/no questions. Takes under a minute. Each yes scores 1 point.
Do you snore loudly (louder than talking, audible through closed doors)?
Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the daytime?
Has anyone observed you stop breathing or choking/gasping during sleep?
Do you have or are you being treated for high blood pressure?
Is your BMI greater than 35 kg/m²?
Are you older than 50?
Is your neck circumference greater than 40 cm (≈16 inches)?
Are you male?
About STOP-BANG
Developed by Chung and colleagues (Anesthesiology, 2008) for pre-operative apnea screening. The acronym: Snoring, Tired, Observed apnea, blood Pressure, BMI, Age, Neck circumference, Gender. At a cut-off of ≥ 3, sensitivity for moderate-to-severe OSA exceeds 90% in most populations, with the trade-off of moderate specificity.
Untreated OSA is associated with hypertension, atrial fibrillation, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and motor-vehicle accidents — all attenuated by treatment. If you score in the intermediate or high band, the standard pathway is a referral for home sleep apnea testing or in-lab polysomnography.
Sources: Chung et al., Anesthesiology 2008· Nagappa et al., PLoS ONE 2015 (meta-analysis)· AASM clinical practice guidelines